Bowling alley



BOWLING ALLEY `Fi1ed April 25, 1923 Patented July 12, 1927.A

UNITED STATES 1,635,784 PATENT ol-"FICE" 5 JAMES GRIFFITH, OF NEW TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNOR T0 THE BRUNS- WICK-BALKE-COLLENDER COMPANY, 0F WILMINGTON, DELAWARE, A CORPORA- TION 0F DELAWARE.

BOWLING ALLEY.

Application led April 23, 1923. Serial No. 634,104.

My invention relates to bowling alleys and has for its chief object to provide improved means for accurately centering the bowling pins in predetermined positions upon the floor of the alley, v n

Other objects of my invention are to provide a bowling alley which has improved centering pins adapted to engage and accurately center the bowling pins in predetermined positions; which has a plurality of pin spots, a plurality of improved centering pins associated with the pin spots, and means movably mounted with respect to the centering pins for bringing the centering pins into engagement with the bowling pins; and which has a plurality of centering pins and yielding means associated with each of the centering pins for disengaging the centering pins from the bowling pins.

Other objects of my invention will become apparent as the detail description pro-v gresses, reference being had to the panying drawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a vertical longitudinal section .v through a portion of a bowling alley illustrating novel features of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 1, and

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section showing in detail the construction of my improved centering -pin and certain other novel features of my invention.

Similar characters of reference designate similar parts throughout the several views.

Referring to Fig. 1, the reference character 10 designates the iioor of a bowling alley, having a plurality of metallic pin spots 11 secured in place by means of screws 12--12.l

Each of the pin spots 11 has its upper surface substantially iush with the upper surface of the floor 10, and is provided with a central tapered hole 13. It is of course understood that each of the pin spots 11 indicates the position which one of the bowling pins 14 should occupy when the bowling pins are placed upon the loor 10. The holes 13 are of circular crossfsection and have their axes disposed normally with respect to the upper surface of the floor 10.

As shown in Fi 1 and 3, each of the bowling pins 14 as a tapered recess 15 formed in its bottom, which is adapted to be engaged by one of a plurality of centering pins 16. Each of the centering pins 16 comprises a tapered shank 17, which terminates at its lower end in a head- 18. The tapered shankl 17 of each of the centering 'pins 16 is loosely and slidably mounted in vas shown in Fig. 3, the shank 17 will fit snugly in the tapered hole 13 and prevent further upward movement of the centering pin. l

To move the centering pins 16 into engagement with the recesses 15 of thebowlmg pins 14, I provide a triangle 20 disposed beneath the door 10 of the bowling alley and shdably mounted in a plurality of straps 21 rigidly securedito the floor 10 by screws 22. The heads 18 of the centering pins 16 ,rest upon the upper surface of the triangle 20, and itis apparent that if the triangle 20. is forced upwardly, the several centering pins 16 will be` moved into thepositions wherein they engage the bowling pins 14, as illustrated in Fig. 3. y

lrlhe means for displacing the triangle' 20 to obtain operative engagement between the centering pins and the bowling pins 14 comprises a. lever 34, pivotally secured with respect to the licor by means of a pin 35, the forward end of the lever 34 being pivotally secured to' the triangle 2O through themedium of a pin 36. A treadle37 is provided I have provided each of the centering pins 100 16 with a helical compression spring 38 loosely wound around the tapered shank 17 of the centering pin and adapted to rest upon the upper surface of the head 18 of the centering pin. Each of the helical compres- 105 sion springs 38 is so proportioned that when its associated centering pin is in the position shown in Fig. 3, the spring will be comressed and will prevent the. centering pin om freezing in either the tapered hole 13 of 11o the pin spot 11 or the tapered recess 15 of the howling pin 14. Unless the centering pin 16 is actually wedged in the tapered hole 13 or the tapered recess 15, the Weight et the head 18 of the centering pin is suilicient to keep the centering pin in engagement with the upper surface of the triangle Q at all times.

ln the operation ot the device the operator steps upon the treadle 37 causing the centering pins 16 to be raised to positions wherein the tapered Shanks 17 fit snugly in the tapered holes 13, as illust-rated in Fig. 3. 'lhe howling pins 111 are then placed upon the pin spots 11, the recesses `registering with the centering pins 16. As the tapered Shanks 17 of the centering pins 16 are designed to iit snugly Within the tapered re cess 15, when the centeringI pins are in their uppermost positions, as determined hy the tapered holes 13 in the pin spots 11, the howling pins 14 will be accurately centered upon the pin spots 11. Releasing the treadle 3T will permit the triangle Q0 to return to its lowermost position with respect to the Hoor 10, and the weight of the several centering pins 16 will cause them to follow the triangle 20 and to rest. upon its upper surface when it has reached its lowermost position. It the centering pins 1G tend to become lodged or wedged in the recesses 15 or the holes 18, the compression springs 38 will disengage the centering pins trom the bowling pins or from the pin spots. thetriangle 20 becomes caught in its upper? most. position, the springs 38 will act thereon to cause it to return to its lower-most posit-ion.

1t is readily understood that damaged centering pins may be replaced with new centering pins by removing the screws 12 securing the pin spots 11 to the fion-r 10, the centering pins and pin spots being self- Similarly, it

Leeaeae aligning, thus obviating the necessity of arranging the new centering pins with respect to the other centering pins or with the triangle 20.

l am aware that changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts may be made Without departing from the spirit and Without sacrificing the advantages of the invention and I reserve the right to make all such changes as fairly fall Within the scope of the following claims.

l claim:

1. The combination ot a bowlingalley bed having a plurality of openings therein, a frame beneath the bed, a plurality et pins arranged in said openings and having Weighted heads resting freely upon the trame, and means tor moving the traine to thrust the pins upward in the openings.

2. The combination ot a bowling alley bed having a plurality of openings therein, a frame beneath the bed, a plurality ot pins arranged in said openings and having weighted heads resting freely upon the trame, means for moving the frame to thrust the pins upward in the openings, and springs on the pins resting upon the heads and adapted to he compressed when the pins are moved upward to assist in retracting the ins.

3. The combination of a bowling alley bed, a plurality of pin spots seated in the hed and having pin openings therein, a frame beneath the hed, a plurality of pins arranged in said openings vand having weighted heads resting freely upon the frame, means for moving the frame to thrust the pins upward in the openings, and springs on the pins and adapted to he con1- pressed between the pin spots and the heads to assist inretracting the ins.

p JAMES GRIFFITH. 

